that unsavoury
region, and trench casualties almost doubled immediately. It continued
in the Salient up to the end of July 1916, with three periods of rest,
each of about a month's duration: the first spent in the neighbourhood
of Houtkerque and Poperinghe, in November and December 1915; the
second in the Houtkerque-Wormhoudt area, with one brigade at a time
back at Calais from mid-March to mid-April 1916; and the third again
in the Houtkerque-Wormhoudt area from mid-June to mid-July 1916. The
nature of these rests has been humorously but not untruthfully
portrayed in the columns of _Punch_; the author of "At the Front" in
that paper having been an officer in the K.S.L.I.

The line was just hardening after the Second Battle of Ypres when the
Division moved up to the Salient, and no active operations took place
on the actual front taken over by the Division, but its artillery was
called upon to assist its neighbours on either flank, i.e. on the 16th
June when the 3rd Division attacked Bellewarde Farm north-west of
Hooge; on the 22nd June when the 42nd Infantry Brigade of the 14th
Division attempted a small operation, and on the 6th July when the 4th
Division carried out a successful minor operation near Pilkem.

On the 30th July the 14th Division was attacked at Hooge and driven
back to Sanctuary and Zouave Woods. Their counter-attacks, gallantly
delivered, but under the circumstances giving very little prospect of
success, failed, and for a time the situation was critical. The
16th Infantry Brigade was moved up to the area about Goldfish Chateau
(half-mile north-west of Ypres) as a precautionary measure, and was at
one time in danger of being thrown in to make a hasty counter-attack.
Fortunately this proved unnecessary, and on the 31st July the Corps
Commander decided to relieve the whole Division, and to allot to it
the task of restoring the line at Hooge in a carefully prepared
attack.

The relief was carried out on the 2nd and 3rd August 1915, and on the
6th the Division took over its front of attack, and the preparatory
bombardment was commenced. This bombardment was very carefully
planned, carried out with great thoroughness and accuracy, and was one
of the most effective and severe that had, up to that time, been put
down by the British. The artillery co-operation in the attack was on a
similar scale and equally effective, except so far as counter-battery
work against enemy artillery to the south was concerned,